Vape Off

E-cig regulations

Want to vape on your next flight? Forget about it. In March, the U.S. Department of Transportation banned vaping on all flights and all carriers. The rule applies to e-cigarettes and "similar products that produce a smoke, mist, vapor, or aerosol," although there are some exceptions for medical devices like nebulizers.

"This final rule is important because it protects airline passengers from unwanted exposure to aerosol fumes that occur when electronic cigarettes are used onboard airplanes," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said after the rule was submitted to the Federal Register. Foxx described the measure as "precautionary" and designed "to eliminate any confusion between tobacco cigarettes and e-cigarettes by applying the same restrictions to both."

A House panel also recently passed legislation to prohibit vaping on planes. During the hearing, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R–Calif.), took a puff from his own vaporizer to demonstrate his opposition. "There is nothing noxious about this whatsoever," he said. "This is the future." On airplanes, though, it's a thing of the past.